Manufacture of gas.



W. H. WILLIAMS. MANUFACTURE OF GAS. APPLICATION FILED 001130, 1901. RENEWED 001 .20, 19.11.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Patented Ma 28, 1912.

W. H. WILLIAMS. MANUFACTURE OF GAS. APPLIOATIGN FILED OUT. 30, 1901. RENEWEDQOOT. 20, 1911. v Patented May 28, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITH ESSES W. H. WILLIAMS. MANUFACTURE OF GAS. APPLIOATION FILED 00130, 1901. RENEWED 001:. 20, 19,11.

PatentedMay 28, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

I l I I l i L INVENTOR WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. WILLIAMS, EAST LIVERPOOL, OHIO.

' .MANUFAGTUBE or GAS.

Specification of Letters Iatent.

Patented May 28,1912.

Application filed October 30, 1901, Serial No. 80,525. Renewed October 20, 1911. Serial No. 655,747.

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, ILLIAM H. VIL- mans, of East Liverpool, Columbiana county, Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Manufacture of Gas, of which the following is a full, clear. and exact description, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l'is an isometric perspectivef iew showing apparatus arranged to carry outmy new process, the proportions being changed somewhat for clcarnessof illustration. Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of the apparatus, and Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the same partly broken away. I

My invention relat'esto the manufacture of gas for heating or other purposes, andits object is to provide a process whereby a gas of high calorific power canbe cheaply and continuously manufactured; and it is especially designed to produce from carbona ceous matter and, a reducible 'oxid, a'substantially pure carbon monoxid gas.

To that end it consists in a new method of treating the carbonaceous matter, such as coal or wood, and a reducible oxid, such as oxid of "iron, and continuously producing carbon monoxid and discharging it in an isolated condition substantially free from any gaseous mixture.

In the drawings, .in which I show a preferred form of apparatus for carrying out my invention. 2 and 3 are gas tight receivers or tanks, fromwvhich lead off-take pipes 4 and 5 provided with pressure valves yieldingly held to their seats by weights 6. The gas in these receivers is thus prevented from flowing out through the pipes until a certain pressure is accumulated, and when this pressure. is exceeded itforces back the yield'ingly pressed valve andflows out to the general tank or gasomete-r- These receivers ,form parts of a closed circuit of chambers and have no direct connection with each other, but are connected by pipes T and 8 with two of the ports of a four-way rotary alve 9. The otbertwo ports of this valve are connected by, pipes 10 and 11 with a rotary blowing device 12 driven from any suitable source of power acting as a pump for the closed system. The-receivers may be provided with thermometers, pressure gages, pet cocks, and sightdrip cocks rmdrawing ofi' the accumulated moisture and condensed carbon disulfid. these parts not being shown. Thereceivers 2 and 3 are also connected by pipes 13 and 14, respectively, with regenerators 1-3 and 16. the connecting pipes preferably entering the lower portions of such regenerators. which may be of any desirableiform, and provided with the. usual.

checker-work system. These pipes. as well as all connecting pipes or passages in the closed circuit proper are preferably, of

such size that the quantity of gas passlng through them per minute will not exceed a speed of more than thirty-five feet per second; and the receivers 2 and 3 are each of such dimensions that the gas to be passed through either of them in one direction during any singlephase of the reversing current. in one direction. will not exceed the cubic contents of such receiver. The regenerators are of such size that the interstices of either of them is substantially qual to the capacity above designated for each receiver. The regeneratorsfare not directly connected to each other. but constitute parts of the general closed circuit.

The regenerator 15 is connected by pipes 17 and-1S with a battery or system of coal retorts 19, the lower pipe 1? preferably leading upwardly to a point within the re generator near its top; and the regenerator 16 is correspondingly connected with the battery of coal 'retorts'QO by similar pipes 21 and i i The coal retorts are arranged in four, groups, four being shown in each group, though aiiy desired, number may be used. The upper ends of each group are connected by inclined converging feed channels 23 to the stem 24. of a hopper'25 which connects by a throat. "26 with an upper hopper 27 open at its top. 'A valve 28 is provided in the upper throat and another. valve 29 is located in the stem 24 below the intermediate hopper. The lower ends of each group of coal retorts connect by converging pipes 30 to a common outlet 31 leading'to chamber 32 and valves 33 and 34 are provided above and below the receptacle 32. -Each' stem 2-'l;for the series'of retorts 19 is connected by branch pipe 35 with the pipe 18.

and similarly each outlet channel 31 is connected by branch pipe 36 to the lower pipe 17-; and similarly the series ofrctorts 20 are connected from stems 2} through branch pipes 37 to the upper pipe'22, while the lower channels 31 are similarly connected by pipes 38 to the lower pipe 21.

The pipes 17 18, 21 and 22 are extended on the side of the retorts opposite to the regenerators, and I have marked these extensions 17. 18', 21, and 22. The pipe 17 and its extension 17 are provided with oppositely seating normally closed valves 39 and 40. which I have shown as in the form of flat valves held to their seats by gravity, though they may be. made in many other forms, such as spring-pressed check valves. The pipes 18 and 18 are similarly provided with valves 41 and 42, the pipes 21, 21 with valves 43 and 44 and the pipe 22, 22 with similar valves 45 and 46, each pair of valves in each pipe and its extension seating in opposite directions. These opposed check valves intercept communication between the batteries of coal retorts and the regenerato'rs, and communication between a chamber 47 and the batteries of retorts respectively, according to the direction of the reversing current. The pipes 18 and 22 enter the chamber 47 near its top, while the pipes 17 and 21' enter the same chamber near its bottom; I have shown the pipes 18 and 22 as connected within this chamber by a perforated pipe 48, and the pipes 17 and 21 connected by similar perforated pipe 49, though these may or may not be used as desired.

The pipes 17, 18, 21 and 22 may enter other parts of the chamber 47 without changing the character of the apparatus. The respective positions of the inwardly opening valves and the outwardly opening valves may be reversed without departing from my invention.

In the chamber 47 are placed vertical ore conduits 50 and 51. These conduits consist of a. vertical series of hollow inverted frustulns or hoppers 52 supported in ver tical series at proper distances apart, such that exposed piles of pulv'erulent material passing through them will be formed in the intervening spaces, the piles shifting in proportion to the speed of descent of the material. The form and'arrangement of these ore conduits may be varied widely, the object being to provide a shifting body of oxid, such as iron ore, which is freely exposed in the chamber 47. At the top of each ore conduit is provided a feed channel leading downwardly from hopper 54, which is fed from an upper hopper 55 through the throat 56. Valves 57 and 58 are provided in the throat 56-:ind the channo] 55); and at the bottom of these ore conduits is provided an outlet tunnel or hopper 59, lc.-iding to valved channel ('30, which communicates with receptacle 61 having valved outlet (32. The inlet and outlet systems for the ore conduits and the coal retorts lead respectively to points above and below the chambers in which they are inelosed. The

size of the chamber 47 is such that the speed of the gas passing through it is slow enough to allow sufficient time for a complete reaction between the carbon monoxid carried into it and the reducible oxid exposed within it.

The batteries of coal retorts 19 and 20 respectively are inclosed in a heating chamber 63 which is heated by any suitable means such as the grate 64 at one end, with stack 65 leading from the opposite upper portion of the chamber. TlllS chamber 63 is external to the closed gas system, and is designed to be used at the beginning of the operation of gas making. 3

The valved inlet and outlet systems for the coal retorts and the ore conduits are designed to prevent admission of air to the closed system: and in feeding the coal to the batteries 19 and 20, or an oxid such as iron ore, to the ore conduit, the material is fed into the upper hopper and the upper valve is opened to admit this material to the intermediate closed hopper. This upper valve is then closed, and sufficient carbon monoxid may be introduced from a gasometer or reservoir through pet cock not shown, into the upper part of the intermediate hopper, and the contained air is forced out through another pet cock, not shown, in its lower part. The valve below the middle hopper is then opened, thus allowing the hopper contents to descend into the coal retorts or the ore conduits. respectively. The delivery of the materials from the retorts or ore conduits is accomplished in a similar manner, except that the air is forced out from the intermediate lower rcceptacle or hopper, by admitting carbon monoxid, before filling-them with the material from above. The ore and reduced iron discharged from the ore conduits into the open air may be elevated and again ted to the upper hopper, theredueed i-ron being re oxidized into magnetic oxid by contact with the air. This iron ore or other reducible oxid thus iised serves simply as a carrier of oxygen,to provide the proper atmosphere in the chamber 47 The exposed parts of the apparatus with the exception of the receivers 2 and 3, the coking apparatus and their immediate connections are preferably made as nonconducting as possible to retain the heat in the system. I

The apparatus thus comprises a closed circuit from which there is no outlet for the gases, except the pressure valves controlling the outlet from the receivers; and in which circuit a hot reversing current can be maintained and supplied with carbon and reducible oxid, as desired, without exposure or intrusion of outside air; and consequently the operation of formingcarbon monoxid is carried on free from nitrogen or any other gases after the pressure of confined gas becomes sufiicient to overcome the pressure of plied with small coal or slack in the manner above described, and the ore con'duits are supplied with finely divided dry iron die or other reducible oxid. The coal retorts are then heated by means-of the grate 64 to start combustion of the coal in the retorts, the valves to the hoppers are closed, and the pumping apparatus started, operating slowly until the chamber 63 and the ore retort chamber is heated to preferably about 500 F. by the heated gas current from the coal retorts. The speed of the pumping ap-- paratus may then. be increased until the temperature in the coal retort chamber and the ore chamber s7 is raised to preferably about 600 F. During this time the temperature in the coal retort chamber should be carefully watched, and when the temperature begins to go above 7 F. the external fire in the grate should be dampened and kept under control. A gas burner may be provided to replace the fire in the grate, as this burner can be easily controlled by a. thermostatic device, though this is not essential. The oscillations of the gas currents are produced by reversing the posi' tion of the four-way rotary valve by a suit able lever connection 66by which the position of this valve is reversed at certain intervals to change it from the position shown in Fig. l to that in which the pipe 7 is con-v neoted to the pipe 10, and the pipe 8 is connected to pipe 11. By .heating the carbonin the retorts to about 580 F. there is produced. under the conditions which obtain therein,- comparatively pure monoxid. hen the carbon is heated above 580 F. considerable carbon dioxid is produced. The action of reversing the gas current when the temperature is about 7 50 F. is to develop carbon monoxid from the carbon dioxid, which began developing when the temperature was about 580 F. Each oscil lation of the current carries-carbonmonoxid over the hot coal in the retort and forward into the upper part of the orechamber,

Where it comes in contact with the heated iron oxid and takes up oxygen from thisoxid to form carbon dioXid again, whichis carried on to one'or the-other ofthe set of coal retorts 19 and 20 from the lower part of the chamber 47, according to the direction of the gases. As the heated carbon dioxid returning from the ore chamber comes in contact with the heated carbon in the coalsretort, it takes up carbon/and is convertedinto carbon monoxid.- If no oxygen were added to the carbon in the retorts, the produ tionof carbon monoxid or carbon monoxid and carbon dioxid would very soon cease for want of oxygen. If the oxygen 7 were. suppliedfroni the atmospherc, a large volume of nitrogen would be introduced.

To avoid both of these conditions, I obtain i 'the oxygen for the production of the carbon oxid or oxids in the retort from the oxygen I contained in the iron oxid in the ore, inuthe ore-conduit chamber 4&7. The gas produced in the retorts is principally carbon monoxid, l which, upon coming in contact with heated iron oxid in the ore chamber, is'transformedl into carbon dioxid by tlie'absorption of m gen from the iron oxid.. \Vhen this carbon dioxid is brought into contact with the heated carbonin the retorts,it is reduced to carbon monoxid, and the oxygen .thusfl to form carbon monoxid. seen that the oxygen necessary forthe fCll' mation-of the carbon monoxid is supplied bytheoxygen from the iron oxid-in the ore liberated combines with the heated carbon It will :thus be chamber, and as this is free from nitrogen the gas produced is free from the latter ele-. ment. The volume of the closed. circuit being constant, the increasing volumeofigas formed in it by successive development of carbon monoxid soon raises the pressure to a point above that of theoutlet pressure valves of the receivers. and the isolated ca r. bon monoxid gas is then discharged as 1b;

is formed. If the direction of the currentis reversed before a'greater quantity of is forced through the closed circuit thanone of the receivers can supply, no carbon dioxid will be present in either receiver, and" only carbon Inonoxid will be passed oiffrom the receivers. The .feedingof materials to i and from the retorts and the oxid conduit-s being carried out 1n the manner before'de scribed, air is prevented from entering the system to mix with the heated gas currents therein. The heat generated by the react is largely returned by the regenerators, and

the temperature is thus maintained, while the conductive surface of the receivers and connections is suflicient to dissipate the surf: V plus heat forming during the reaction. "The direction. of the current in the closed cir- .cuit in one direction is illustratedfby the arrows in Fig. l, and the direction during the opposite period of oscillation will be the opposite of this. The current passing through its proper channels in each direc tionby reason of the automatically acting valves in thepipes 17,17, 18, 18, 21, 21, 22 and 22. 0 y i A The advantages of my invention result" from the formation of the carbon monoxid gas of high calorific power in a continuous pense.

manner, and at comparatively small 'ex- Wood, sawdust, or other carbonaceousma} terials may be used in place of coal,-other reducible oxids may be used in placeof iron oxids, and'the form of the apparatus may be widely varied without departing from my invention.

In connection with the reversing of the direction of flow of the gas, it will be ex plained that when the gas is flowing in anycarbonaceous material had given off all of the oxygen. In order that the generation of gas may be continuous, the direction of flow of the gas is reversed periodically in order that the retort which is about to become inactive may be rendered active by the supply of oxygen thereto from the metallic oxid.

I claim:

1. The herein described process of makinggas, which consists in subjecting carbonaceous material to heat in. a closed circuit to produce a gas containing carbon monoxid, causing said carbon monoxid to take up oxygen by subjecting it to theaotion of a heated metallic oxid in a closed circuit to form carbon dioxid, then reducing all of the carbon dioxid in the gas to carbon monoxid by subjecting the same to the action of heated carbonaceous material in the *closed circuit and finally taking oil the carbon monoxid, substantially as described.

2. A process of producing carbon monoxid gas, which consists in oxidizing carbon monoxid in a closed circuit by forcing the carbon monoxid through the circuit in one direction over a heated metallic oxid, then reducing the gas thus produced by forcing the same in the same direction over heated carbonaceous material, periodically reversing the direction of flow of current, and finally withdrawing the, carbon monoxid from the system, substantially as described.

3. A process of producing carbon mo noxid, which consistsin heating carbona ceous material in a retort to produce carbon.

monoxid, subjecting said carbon monoxid to the action of heated metallic oxid in another retort to produce carbon dioxid, then subjecting the carbon dioxid to heated carbonaceous material in another retort to produce carbon-monoxid, continuing the operation until the oxygen in the carbonaceous material of the first retort is substantially exhausted, then reversing the order of the steps, whereby the oxygen in the first-mentioned retort is restored by the oxygen from the metallic oxid, and taking ofi the excess monoxid, substantially as described.

4. The process of producing carbon mo-.

gas, and taking ofl the excess carbon monoxid, substantially as described.

5. The herein described process which consists in heating carbonaceous material to produce carbon monoxid in a closed circuit, passing the gas thus produced around the circuit and into contact successively with heated metallic oxid and heated carbonaceous material and back to the starting point, continuing the flow of gas around the circuit, periodically reversing the direction of the flow of the gas and taking oil the excess carbon monoxid, substantially as described.

6. In the production of carbon monoxid gas, the steps comprising the heating of carbonaceous material in a retort to produce carbon monoxid, subjecting the carbon monoxid to the action of heated metallic oxid in a retort, and feeding in fresh metallic oxid to the latter retort while excluding air therefrom, substantially as described.

7. In the production of carbon monoxid gas, the steps comprising the heating of carbonaceous material in a retort to produce carbon monoxid, subjecting the carbon monoxid to the action of heated metallic oxid in the retort, and feeding in and taking out carbonaceous material and metallic oxid to and from the retorts while excluding air therefrom, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

WM. H. WILLIAMS. Witnesses:

A. W. BROWN, H. H. C. HAMMERTON. 

